JUNE 2019

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah / A / ***1/2 / Kindle
*Read this book as part of my Goodreads book challenge for the year
This is a story of a Vietnam vet with PTSD, the woman that loves him, and their young daughter. Driven by grandiose ideas and trauma induced paranoia, the father takes the family to a remote part of Alaska.  While the required hard labor and clean water/air help the father in some ways, the long winters and harsh environment also took their toll.  
This book is about community. About loving people. About walking away. About how nature can reveal the heart of a person.
There was nothing really surprising in this story but I enjoyed it. I particularly loved the descriptions of Alaska and was not surprised to learn that the author was from there and had ancestors that helped homestead the state.

Dark Matter: A novel by Blake Crouch / A / **** / Kindle
Jason Dessnen is a physics professor living an average American life.  He has a loving wife, a great kid, a mortgage, and a comfortable life.  Like everyone, he sometimes wonders, "What If?". What if he had pursued his research... gotten that grant... published that paper.  
One night while walking home he is kidnapped at gunpoint and taken to a remote research facility. He loses consciousness and when he awakes he is in that world of "what-if's". His wife is not his wife... his child does not exist... he has fame and fortune as a premiere scientist. 
The rest of the book tells the story of him trying to get back to his own reality.
This story had a fascinating premise and is very timely considering Marvel's own exploration into what they call "The Multiverse".  I enjoyed it. It was a great balance of sci-fi, romance, adventure, and suspense.


I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara / A / **** / Kindle
*Read this book as part of my Goodreads book challenge for the year
I normally do not read "true crime" books as they freak me out a little too much. I was not looking forward to this one, but as it was part of my Goodreads Challenge for the year I decided to give it a go... as the point is reading things I would not normally.
It ended up being more about the search for the Golden State Killer.  It was interesting to read about the different crimes, how the police were not even sure if they were committed by the same person, the evolution of the killer and the investigations, the introduction of DNA and other forensic tests, and how he was ultimately caught.  
It also opened up another world in that I found there are regular people out there that try to solve cold cases as a hobby.  The author is one of these people and runs (ran -  she has since passed away which makes me go what the heck how does a healthy normal rich american just die like that? Gotta be drugs...) a blog where different scenarios are discussed. While the police do not really give her any official credit for solving this case, it sounds like she kept the case alive and in the public eye. Plus she had some great ideas.  
Anyway... it was interesting. But I'm going to stick with scrap-booking as my hobby if it's okay with y'all.

 My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella / A / *** / Kindle
Oh Sophie. Thanks for making me laugh. This wasn't your best but it was still dang enjoyable. I love your quirky but real characters. I love your insights of London. I love how it all works out at the end. Great summer read and a reminder that life is not perfect and that's part of what makes it unique.

Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage / A / **** / Hardcopy
I am trying to earn my Young Womenhood award before the end of the year when the program is being phased out. I never earned this while in High School and now the program has been opened up to any woman.  One of my goals was to read Jesus the Christ.  
It took me several months but it was SO FASCINATING.  I learned a lot and it has really deepened my understanding of the life of Christ and the atonement.